The Key Studio Sessions: Family Volleyball

Family Volleyball is an indie pop four-piece from Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, that made a big impression at this summer’s Beta Hi-Fi competition over at World Cafe Live. They’re a young crew, still in high school with bandmates averaging age 16, but they’ve got a self-assured of sound and chops to back it up. The wash of dreamy guitar textures and jangling leads recalls Beach Fossils and Youth Lagoon as readily as New Order and The Feelies, and frontman Ethan Kerr’s voice interacts with the songs almost like another instrument, ebbing and flowing along with the tide.

Made up of Kerr along with Owen Zieger, Harry Welsh and Michael Zicchinolfi, the band formed in 2014 and has released two EPs: Rainbow TV Fuzz and Girl / Sad Dreams. One of the songs from their back catalog, the very fun “Kimono,” makes an appearance during their Key Studio Sessions performance, but Family Volleyball also uses its time in our studio to unveil three brand new cuts. “Key West” is expansive and impressive, as is the untitled number that closes the set (Kerr’s elated “whooooo!” as the last chord rings out pretty nicely sums it up). In between, there’s the askew “Cocoa Skeddie” that builds and races in a captivating way.

Stream the set below, grab a free download at our Soundcloud page and catch Family Volleyball at the end of the month for an all-ages show at West Kensington Ministry on December 30th with Line Leader, Is and of The and more. Info on the gig can be found at its Facebook event page.